I have taken the plunge have begun to enter photography competitions, as if the Jewelry isn't enough. BUT I have entered a National Geographic photography competition. Part of it is "People's Choice". So PLEASE, pretty PLEASE with a cherry on top, vote for me!
http://www.worldinfocuscontest.com/bin/Rate?image_id=1010207287
Friday, August 20, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Exciting Week=Busy Week
So this week is filled with visits! It started with a nice visit home to NJ. To belatedly celebrate my dad's birthday. We went out to my parents' favorite "new" Italian place, I called Positano's, in Wayne, NJ. http://www.positanorestaurant.com/. It was fantastic. I highly recommend the tomato and onion salad, the tomato caprese salad and the chicken marsala. It was fabulous. Then we just relaxed and Mike headed out to DC for work. Monday I saw Carrie for lunch at Bobby's Burger Palace, http://www.bobbysburgerpalace.com/. We ate. A lot. It was great to see Carrie and enjoy GOOD food. Then I had dinner with Cheryl and her beautiful family. I did "Auntie" duties and fed her son, Colin. I enjoyed every minute. Tuesday, I went early to the Educational Warehouse, at 7am, to get the 25% discount. It was worth it! I am nervous about my new job and will be writing all new plans once I get the Language Arts curriculum from the school, Thursday is the Math training. Then lunch with my Mom. It was a good day.
This week I have a pool date with Kerri and her her friends from Massachusetts. Thursday, the aforementioned Math workshop, and Friday, straightening the house and heading home to NJ. Friday, Mike comes up and Saturday, Dave and Anneie will be driving up for the 9-11 ride and staying at my parents' house. Saturday is Oldies at the Lake, http://www.frankiecanta.com/html/newgigs.html. My Dad is in the group, they sing doo-wop. We are all going, the third year in the row for Dave and Anneie coming up for it! Then Sunday a barbeque at the parent's and then ride home. Dave and Anneie will be staying with us for the week and I think Mike and Dave had tons of rides planned.
Its gonna be a great two weeks!
This week I have a pool date with Kerri and her her friends from Massachusetts. Thursday, the aforementioned Math workshop, and Friday, straightening the house and heading home to NJ. Friday, Mike comes up and Saturday, Dave and Anneie will be driving up for the 9-11 ride and staying at my parents' house. Saturday is Oldies at the Lake, http://www.frankiecanta.com/html/newgigs.html. My Dad is in the group, they sing doo-wop. We are all going, the third year in the row for Dave and Anneie coming up for it! Then Sunday a barbeque at the parent's and then ride home. Dave and Anneie will be staying with us for the week and I think Mike and Dave had tons of rides planned.
Its gonna be a great two weeks!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
What a Weekend!
Whew! It was a great, fast weekend!
It started with me and our friend from VA "surprising" Mike with a visit. Byl, another friend from VA, was also coming up from his business trip in Connecticut. After a few good interviews, I was feeling fine! Mike decided to get tickets to go see the Barenaked Ladies. I had to tell him to get a 4th ticket for our friend who was surprising him!
Friday night we had dinner at Scupper Jacks. It was yummy as always!
http://www.scupperjacks.com
Saturday Byl came up and we headed out to lunch at Not Your Average Joes, http://www.notyouraveragejoes.com. It was also pretty good but I was disappointed that the Portabella Sandwich was no longer on the menu. But, instead I had the tomato and mozzarella sandwich instead, which was pretty tasty.
Afterwards, I mentioned to the boys about a leather store, so I could learn about making leather bracelets. I was hesitant to go because all of the leather that was being sold was still in the shape of the animal (cow, deer etc..). But I wanted to go and they were more than happy to do it. IT was very...overwhelming for me. The smell is what hits you first. Then all of the dead animals. For the record, yes I eat meat. Steak. I realize where it comes from and I do not mind leather (FUR is another story, I mean people do not eat fox, or minks) because it is a byproduct of the meat industry. It was the deer, rabbit, snake, crocodile/alligator, and "COYOTE FACES" that totally freaked me out. And the smell. Now I love my leather boots and a nice suede jacked but the smell of leather was very over-powering. It didn't help that the boys announced that they were from PETA when we walked in. The boys had fun running around the store, although Byl did stay and try to help me NOT to have a nervous breakdown, as the very rude and humorless saleswoman, named Susan, tried to sell ME A DEER. If you know me well, you know that deer are my "spirit animal"*. I was mortified. As Susan lead me to the scrap section I almost threw up when she handed me a snake skin. At which point she told me that I needed to "snap out of it, you chose to come in here". Susan had a valid point, to a degree. I wanted leather scraps. Not a freaking snake, deer, alligator, or an armidillo! So I then followed her like a puppy, and asked about how to apply snaps. I then looked over at my beloved husband and our friends as they stalked the store pretending to either hunt or be the hunted animal. Then one of our friends found the fur and cave man type outfit. At this point the other store employees were in hysterics and my store person was NOT happy. Then I slowly turned around on the wall were Coyote FACES. That is what it the sign said. And it is what I saw. Skinned, eyeless coyote faces. They all looked like Bailey. SO I did the most natural thing, which was to scream Loudly. That was all about what Susan could handle so she asked someone else to show me how to use snaps. Then at the checkout counter Mike, after the boys engaged a lively employee in debating wether or not wolves make good pets, showed Susan the photo of Bailey. Then she ALMOST smiled and said "Oh now I get why you screamed".
http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/
Moving on, the Barenaked Ladies concert was absolutely amazing! Who knew the lead singer was hot? They sounded fantastic and except for a horrific foul order that permeated from the Ginger Twins in front of us that had myself, Mike and the girl next to me gagging for most of the show. But the show was just so fantastic. They sounded phenomenal when they sang acapella.
Sunday, we had breakfast at Mario's in Westford then we went antiquing! So all in all a wonderful and great weekend. Monday was the icing on the cake, where the workshop instructor said that my photo of the rooftop with red and LED light painting was the best in the class!
From here two interviews, lunch with the girls and then home to Jersey for the weekend. A good week ahead.
http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/
It started with me and our friend from VA "surprising" Mike with a visit. Byl, another friend from VA, was also coming up from his business trip in Connecticut. After a few good interviews, I was feeling fine! Mike decided to get tickets to go see the Barenaked Ladies. I had to tell him to get a 4th ticket for our friend who was surprising him!
Friday night we had dinner at Scupper Jacks. It was yummy as always!
http://www.scupperjacks.com
Saturday Byl came up and we headed out to lunch at Not Your Average Joes, http://www.notyouraveragejoes.com. It was also pretty good but I was disappointed that the Portabella Sandwich was no longer on the menu. But, instead I had the tomato and mozzarella sandwich instead, which was pretty tasty.
Afterwards, I mentioned to the boys about a leather store, so I could learn about making leather bracelets. I was hesitant to go because all of the leather that was being sold was still in the shape of the animal (cow, deer etc..). But I wanted to go and they were more than happy to do it. IT was very...overwhelming for me. The smell is what hits you first. Then all of the dead animals. For the record, yes I eat meat. Steak. I realize where it comes from and I do not mind leather (FUR is another story, I mean people do not eat fox, or minks) because it is a byproduct of the meat industry. It was the deer, rabbit, snake, crocodile/alligator, and "COYOTE FACES" that totally freaked me out. And the smell. Now I love my leather boots and a nice suede jacked but the smell of leather was very over-powering. It didn't help that the boys announced that they were from PETA when we walked in. The boys had fun running around the store, although Byl did stay and try to help me NOT to have a nervous breakdown, as the very rude and humorless saleswoman, named Susan, tried to sell ME A DEER. If you know me well, you know that deer are my "spirit animal"*. I was mortified. As Susan lead me to the scrap section I almost threw up when she handed me a snake skin. At which point she told me that I needed to "snap out of it, you chose to come in here". Susan had a valid point, to a degree. I wanted leather scraps. Not a freaking snake, deer, alligator, or an armidillo! So I then followed her like a puppy, and asked about how to apply snaps. I then looked over at my beloved husband and our friends as they stalked the store pretending to either hunt or be the hunted animal. Then one of our friends found the fur and cave man type outfit. At this point the other store employees were in hysterics and my store person was NOT happy. Then I slowly turned around on the wall were Coyote FACES. That is what it the sign said. And it is what I saw. Skinned, eyeless coyote faces. They all looked like Bailey. SO I did the most natural thing, which was to scream Loudly. That was all about what Susan could handle so she asked someone else to show me how to use snaps. Then at the checkout counter Mike, after the boys engaged a lively employee in debating wether or not wolves make good pets, showed Susan the photo of Bailey. Then she ALMOST smiled and said "Oh now I get why you screamed".
http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/
Moving on, the Barenaked Ladies concert was absolutely amazing! Who knew the lead singer was hot? They sounded fantastic and except for a horrific foul order that permeated from the Ginger Twins in front of us that had myself, Mike and the girl next to me gagging for most of the show. But the show was just so fantastic. They sounded phenomenal when they sang acapella.
Sunday, we had breakfast at Mario's in Westford then we went antiquing! So all in all a wonderful and great weekend. Monday was the icing on the cake, where the workshop instructor said that my photo of the rooftop with red and LED light painting was the best in the class!
From here two interviews, lunch with the girls and then home to Jersey for the weekend. A good week ahead.
http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
August Already?
August is upon us. Well, in fact it is here! It seems that either I am super busy or not so busy. But art IS being made despite it all.
I have been on two great shoots: Deer Island, Winthrop, MA (where Lisa lives. Have been there before with her and the kids) and the rooftop of a building at MIT in Cambridge.
The Deer Island shoot, for me, was cut short due to a migraine. I barely made it home without wanting to curl up on the side of the road and let it pass. But below are some images that I got that night.
I have been on two great shoots: Deer Island, Winthrop, MA (where Lisa lives. Have been there before with her and the kids) and the rooftop of a building at MIT in Cambridge.
The Deer Island shoot, for me, was cut short due to a migraine. I barely made it home without wanting to curl up on the side of the road and let it pass. But below are some images that I got that night.
On Monday we went to Cambridge and the MIT campus. Lots of people. A lot of students surprisingly since it is summer. But maybe not since it IS MIT. To get to the top of the 20 story building I had to take an elevator to the 18th floor, then enter a 3-4 person maximum capacity elevator to the 20th floor. Thank goodness it wasn't a long trip but my claustrophobia was already kicking in. There the views were breathtaking and amazing, as long as I didn't look down, which I did just once to see if being up there for a few hours conquered my fear of heights. It didn't. Finally along the railing and in every crevice were spiders. Like ones with freaking fur and white spots. Which to me meant Brown Racluse. Which I was bitten by in camp in 1998. And for about 4 years, every time I got a good amount of mosquito bites the bite would flare up and become just as gross as the initial bite. I am seriously not even exaggerating. Ask my mother she will tell you. My mom and my cousin Michael would not have liked the rooftop. At first I didn't either. Then, well I set up my tripod and I was fine. Great. Unless a spider was near and then I muttered "damn freaking spiders" to the humor of my classmates. None of them seemed bothered by them. Not even the one to size of a silver dollar on the staircase. I stayed away from said staircase. Ok. Below are some pics from that night. I had a blast with light painting. The one with red and LED light painting I teamed up with Sheryl (who got us on the roof to begin with) and it came out pretty cool.
Finally in between shoots, I went to the farm with Allison and Jasper and bought a ton of organic fruits and veggies that were fantastic. But for the record, homemade organic ravioli from New Hampshire is NOT the same as home made ravioli from NJ or NY. I threw out most of what I cooked except for the two pieces I ate. I also saw Lisa and the kids, in Boston with Grandpa E and Stacy and her daughter Hannah, and later on Lisa came out here to the country with the kids. We went swimming. It was fun. And I was totally wiped out afterwards. But it was great visit. Next we are gearing up for Byl and Jan to come out for a visit. Its going to be a great weekend! OH and I have been interviewing, two scheduled for the next two weeks. But there are NOT a lot of jobs out there. I have applied to every posting I have seen that fits my skill set, and I am sure that there are other well qualified teachers out there looking at the same job. I will not be happy, NOT teaching. But if it comes down to it, can't I be a Suburban Artist full time?
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